A furious political row has erupted after police confirmed they will take no further action against Labour's Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, over the sale of her former council house.
The decision by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to drop its investigation has incensed Conservative MPs, who have relentlessly pursued the matter for months. They allege Ms Rayner may have breached electoral law and dodged capital gains tax on the 2015 sale of her ex-council home in Stockport, a claim she vehemently denies.
A Political Firestorm Ignites
The controversy centres on whether the property in Vicarage Road was, in fact, her principal residence. If it was her main home, as she insists, she would have been exempt from capital gains tax on its sale. Critics, however, have questioned this, pointing to her now-husband's home miles away and the residency details of her children.
GMP had been assessing whether to launch a full investigation into allegations she may have provided false information on the electoral register. Their conclusion has poured petrol on an already blazing political fire.
'A Whitewash': Tories React with Fury
Conservative figures have reacted with outrage. Deputy Chairman Jonathan Gullis led the charge, declaring the decision 'a whitewash' and demanding to know 'who exactly has been leaned on'.
He was joined by former minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who argued the police had 'taken a narrow view' and that the real issue of a potential tax liability remains firmly on the table. The Tory attack lines are clear: this is a matter of trust and accountability at the highest level of the Labour Party.
Labour's Defence and the Road Ahead
For Labour, the police announcement is a moment of vindication. A party spokesperson stated it was 'time for the Conservatives to stop their desperate smear campaign' and focus on the issues that matter to the public.
Despite the police stepping aside, the saga is far from over. HMRC retains the power to investigate the tax affairs independently, and the political stain of the allegation is likely to linger. As the general election looms, this bitter clash over ethics and tax promises to be a recurring feature of the political battleground.
